The O'Briens

A Novel

The highly anticipated follow-up to Peter Behrens' Governor General's Literary Award-winning novel, "The Law of Dreams". Told from the perspectives of Joe, Iseult, and their children and spanning the construction of the Canadian railroad as well as both world wars, this is a majestic novel that mirrors the scope and sweep of what Wilfrid Laurier calls "Canada's Century".

Comment

This is a continued story of the O'Brien family from the award winning book "The Law of Dreams" although it stands on its own quite nicely. Those who appreciate Peter Behrens writing will enjoy this book.

Peter Behrens will be reading from The O'Briens at the Main Library, 120 Metcalfe St. on Tues, Oct 25th, 2011 12:00-1:00.
Don't miss this chance to meet the author!

Cdnbookworm
Sep 10, 2011

This is the saga of Joe O'Brien and his family. It starts in the Pontiac region along the Ottawa River, but ranges across North America to the Canadian Rockies, to Venice Beach, California, and back again. Joe spends most of his married life in Montreal, as does one of his brothers. We see the strong feelings around families here with Joe's support for his siblings and theirs for him and his family. We see marital difficulties, influences of war, and the more mundane everyday aspects of life.
Joe is involved in the Canadian railway boom, the military industry of both World Wars, and construction of many infrastructure projects. He dreams big and yet sometimes doesn't know what he really wants. We see how people love each other, but don't always understand each other.
This is an engaging book, with characters that capture the imagination.